Improvement in toy-pistols



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Patented July 16,1872.

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UNITED STATES RCDNEY WELCH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPRovEMENT 1N rov-PlsroLs, ac.

specification forming pm of Letters Patent No. 128,990, dated July 16, 1872.

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be conveniently preserved and handled forthis purpose.

In the drawing which accompanies this specification, Figure l represents a full or perspective view of the gun; and Fig. 2 represents a sectional view of the same with the sodium charge in position.

The same letters refer to like parts as far as they are represented in the drawing.

A is the tube, or barrel of the gun; B, the stock or handle; C, the cork or stopper; D, the wire for holding the sodium charge; and E, the sodium charge. The gun proper consists of a tube closed at one end, and may be made of any desired diameter and length, and may be constructed of any material suitable for forming tubes. For convenience in using it is mounted on wheels, provided with a stock, or the barrel and stock may be constructed from one piece. Accompanying the tube or barrel is a stopper, made of any suitable material-as cork or India rubberwhich is to be firmly inserted in the end of the tube or barrel not permanently closed. Inserted in the stopper is a piece of wire, on which a ball of sodium may be xed.. Balls of sodium are prepared by coating them with parafne or other material of similar composition and properties, so that they will not be affected by air or moisture, or this coating may be applied to a wrapper placed around the balls.

In order to fire the gun a small quantity of ice, snow, or water, or other substance capable of. eliminating hydrogen in the presence of sodium is placed in the tube or barrel. The coveringis now removed from a ball of sodium, when it is attached to the end of the wire above described, and the stopper to which it is fastened is firmly pressed into its place,the gun during this time being held so that the muzzle points upward. The gun 1s now held in a horizontal position so that the water or other material used in its place may come in contact with theball of sodium. As it does this the sodium iioats off on the surface of the liquid, causing the oxygen, of which it is inpart composed, to unite with it, whilethe hydrogen is set free and mixes with the air in the tube. When so much hydrogen has been eliminated that it is in the right proportion to unite with the oxygen in the tube, the heat produced is such that ignition, followed by the explosion of the mixed gases, ensues,which forces out the stopper, or l else the hydrogen unites with the sodium,pro ducing a like result. Y

I am aware that sodium has been used for generating hydrogen from water; that its employment has been suggested for blastingrocks and that it has been preserved in parafne oil and other liquids that contain no oxygen; therefore I make no claim to either of these; but

I claim as my invention, and desire to have protected by Letters Patent- 1. A'toy hydrogen-gun, exploded by insertin g in the barrel thereof sodium in connection with ice, snow, water, or other substances capable of eliminating hydrogen in the presence of sodium, so as to set the hydrogen free, substantially as shown and described.

2. The process of coating balls of sodium with parafline,wax, or other materials that contain no oxygen, and are solid at ordinary temperatures, for the purpose above indicated, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

RODNEY WELCH.

Witnesses z HENRY T. THOMAS, FREDERICK W. J oNEs. 

